--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man is little use when his wife’s a…" description: "\"“A man is little use when his wife’s a widow. Scottish proverb”\" — Colin Dexter" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/colin-dexter-22150_death_a-man-is-little-use-when-his-wife-s-a-wi_1325818.png" --- # A man is little use when his wife’s a widow. Scottish… ![“A man is little use when his wife’s a widow. Scottish proverb” quote by Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/colin-dexter-22150_death_a-man-is-little-use-when-his-wife-s-a-wi_1325818.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/colin-dexter-22150_death_a-man-is-little-use-when-his-wife-s-a-wi_1325818.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b9/colin-dexter-22150_death_a-man-is-little-use-when-his-wife-s-a-wi_1325818.png) > ““A man is little use when his wife’s a widow. Scottish proverb”” [Colin Dexter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-dexter/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A proverb suggests a widowed woman is of little use to a man, reflecting gender bias and social expectations. **In simple terms:** Widowhood reduces a woman's perceived value. Key Takeaway Challenge outdated gender stereotypes. Themes gender roles bias proverbs social norms Mood critical thoughtful Type cultural historical When to use this quote - marriage counseling - gender studies - historical analysis Key Concepts cultural sayings feminist critique historical context Questions to Reflect On - How do such sayings affect widows today? - What alternative narratives empower women? A Different Perspective The proverb is offensive and ignores individual agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Husband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/husband/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Widow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/widow/) [Widowed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/widowed/) [Wife](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wife/) ## Related quotes > [“wife?—rather a widow with her husband alive! Aye, I widowed that poor girl when I married her,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/wife-rather-a-widow-with-her-husband-alive-aye-i-widowed-that-poor/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [I have talked to Debbie Hammond quite a bit, Jim Hammond's wife, his widow. I've seen their kids. And last time we played Dallas,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-have-talked-to-debbie-hammond-quite-a-bit-jim-hammond-s-wife-his/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) > [One can with dignity be wife and widow but once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/one-can-with-dignity-be-wife-and-widow-but-once/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) > [The son of an old man is an orphan, and his wife is a widow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-bassam/the-son-of-an-old-man-is-an-orphan-and-his-wife-is-a-widow/) [Ali Bassam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-bassam/) > [“It was nothing to her, that an innocent man was to die for the sins of his forefathers; she saw, not him, but them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/it-was-nothing-to-her-that-an-innocent-man-was-to-die-for-the-sins-of/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Hard work, says the Scottish proverb, never killed a man. 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